This afternoon I went to the Waldorf School of San Diego to hear Greg Mortenson, of Three Cups of Tea speak to the students. Greg Mortenson, an American with a passion, builds schools mostly for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan. His mission was sparked when he got lost in the Himalayas after failing to summit K2, the second highest peak in the world. A tribal chief made him welcome and he recuperated in the small village for three months. During his stay, he noticed that the students had no school, but still tried to learn. They had no school, and the teacher only came three days a week because, even though the cost for a teacher was $1.00 a day, that was all the village council could afford. The students used sticks in the dirt to write out their lessons. Mortenson's mission in life was sealed right then: he promised his caretakers that he would build them a school. After many hardships, failures, wasted efforts, and time, he was able to raise the money to build their school. It became the first of over 70 schools that Mortenson has built in the mountains of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
When Mortenson came onto the stage in the small, not auditorium, a slide projected:
To educate a boy is to educate an individual.
To educate a girl is to educate a community.
African Proverb
Mortensen started out by asking the children to think of something they thought they had that children in countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan don't have. The children raised their hands and listed TV, cars, video games, books, etc. Then he asked them to think of something the children in those countries may have that they don't have. This was harder for them to answer.
Mortensen talked a lot about the benefit of Pennies for Peace, where someone, or a group of people ask their community to save and collect pennies for a charity or some other cause. Thousands of dollars have been raised this way and many of the efforts are by young students. The students at the Waldorf School used this event to kick off their Pennies for Peace program.
Picture this: a large, lumbering American man is raising the funds to build schools for children in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He has learned the customs and the language to bridge as many barriers as possible. He pays for all the materials, works with the tribal chiefs, hires drivers, contractors, etc. and builds a school to suit the needs of each small community he visits. He hires teachers and provides school supplies. He asks for nothing in return. This individual is not only building schools, he is building a legacy of peaceful relations between these people and Americans. His good work stretches so much further than the classrooms.
Mortensen started out by asking the children to think of something they thought they had that children in countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan don't have. The children raised their hands and listed TV, cars, video games, books, etc. Then he asked them to think of something the children in those countries may have that they don't have. This was harder for them to answer.
Mortensen talked a lot about the benefit of Pennies for Peace, where someone, or a group of people ask their community to save and collect pennies for a charity or some other cause. Thousands of dollars have been raised this way and many of the efforts are by young students. The students at the Waldorf School used this event to kick off their Pennies for Peace program.
Picture this: a large, lumbering American man is raising the funds to build schools for children in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He has learned the customs and the language to bridge as many barriers as possible. He pays for all the materials, works with the tribal chiefs, hires drivers, contractors, etc. and builds a school to suit the needs of each small community he visits. He hires teachers and provides school supplies. He asks for nothing in return. This individual is not only building schools, he is building a legacy of peaceful relations between these people and Americans. His good work stretches so much further than the classrooms.
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